Cruise ship Norwegian Jewel anchors in Portarlington.

Portarlington welcomed an wave of tourists to the region on Tuesday when passenger ship the Norwegian Jewel docked. It was a fantastic day for passengers, after walking down Portarlington Pier in perfect weather and surrounded by picturesque views, some hopped on busses to explore the region and others walking up to the main street for a wander.

The Norwegian Jewel is the biggest cruise ship that has anchored in our region, and we were excited to show its passengers and crew all that Greater Geelong has to offer. While Geelong is the preferred location for cruise ships to berth, in this instance we were limited by anchorage depth – rather than miss the region – it is fantastic that as a cruising region we have the new infrastructure at Portarlington to accommodate larger vessels, such as the Norwegian Jewel.

Passengers disembarking cruise ships are welcomed by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team of volunteers from Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine.